New York State of Mind

Yesterday, I spent the day in New York City with my kids, my sister, and my brother-in-law. I'm not much for big cities, but thought I'd record some impressions. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. I've tried to get my kids up to the city every so often as there is so much for them to see there.

Cities, generally, and especially big cities, seem such an artificial and foreign place for me. I guess those who are raised there don’t question how their needs are met on a daily basis…how the food gets in, how the garbage/waste gets out…For me, the whole idea of the reliability of those supply lines is a little disconcerting. I guess it’s stupid, but I somehow feel better knowing I can see fields of food and woods full of game close enough that I don’t need to depend on some complicated logistics system to survive. Then there’s the whole idea of the reality of the experience. To be so totally surrounded by a man-made environment would probably (over the months) really freak me out.

Still, there’s something to be said for time in the city. There are just so many things that have been brought to one place. I get a strange feeling of energy walking the streets of New York. I think it’s just a result of so many souls so close together. There’s a power there that is seductive. I think this is the draw of the big city to so many people. I hear Billy Joel’s song “New York State of Mind” and I want to jump in the car and head to the city. It’s as if there’s something in the air there that amplifies your feelings. I fear, however, that the energy of the big city pulls our focus outside ourselves and is counterproductive to our own growth. People on the street, and elsewhere, seem to be performing for each other, as if they’re looking for some external acknowledgement of their value…I would never live in the city…I don’t think you can easily be quiet with yourself there. I suspect that this is a great place to live a few years and expose yourself to much of what our culture has to offer and I might have liked to have done this for a year or two when I was young and before I had a family. Today, I can only take the city in short breaths; the crush of humanity is too much for me. It seems there’s “much ado about nothing”, with everyone scurrying off to some unimportant meeting or appointment.

I’m sure we’ll get up to New York again soon, to catch a show or see a ballgame. I’ll have a great time and enjoy the novelty of the experience…and I’ll be happy to head back home.